


In The Hands of The Enemy

by paintedbluerose



Series: Whumptober [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Brainwashing, Kidnapping, Sorry Not Sorry, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, Zuko (Avatar) whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26782879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedbluerose/pseuds/paintedbluerose
Summary: Zuko was kidnapped by Long Feng. Long Feng demands Zuko work for him. His demands start with an impossible choice.Theme 2 of Whumptober: In the hands of the enemy
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Long Feng & Zuko
Series: Whumptober [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950010
Comments: 5
Kudos: 87





	In The Hands of The Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> The prompts for this theme were kidnapping, collars, and pick who dies. I was going to just stay with kidnapping but couldn’t figure what I liked the most. Then it just went to something else and I rolled with it. It’s rough. I sorry.

Zuko thought he was safe now. Jet hadn’t bothered him since he was taken by the Dai Li. He changed how he felt and actedafter releasing the bison from Lake Laogai. His Uncle had a new tea shop opening in the Upper Ring. It should have meant peace, happiness.

Zuko should have known better: he can never have those things.

Instead of waking up in the apartment he shared with his Uncle, he woke underground. It was very similar to where the bison was held, Zuko knew he had to be in Lake Laogai as well. Which meant the Dai Li caught him. He hoped they hadn’t gotten Uncle as well.

He was kneeling on the ground. His legs and feet were covered by earth. His hands were pulled behind him, no doubt covered as well. He was stuck.

He needed to think. He needed to figure out a plan, a way out of here. There were no doors so only way in and out were by earthbending. If someone came in, could he take them out? Possibly. Not encased in earth. Maybe if he convinced one of them to release his arms? But then what? He’d have to leave Ba Sing Se. Or he could find the Avatar and help him. And what about Uncle? Was he here? Was he being watched? Was he safe?

Think.

He breathed in and out to ground himself. He needed to have a clear mind and not panic.

No sooner had he calmed down did a door appear with three earthbenders. Two were Dai Li and one in the middle Zuko wasn’t sure of. Possible Dai Li as well. A leader?

“Prince Zuko.” The man in the middle smiled.

“My name is Lee.” Zuko replied automatically.

“My name is Long Feng, head of the Dai Li,” Long Feng continued as if Zuko didn’t say anything, “and you’re one of our special guests.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I know exactly who you are, Prince Zuko. I know your Uncle, the Dragon of the West, is with you and has a tea shop in the Upper Ring. I know you are also going to do whatever I say.”

“You can’t make me do anything!”

“Oh but I can. The Dai Li have this little thing called brainwashing. They can make you forget everything and everyone. They can give you a whole new personality. You can be Lee permanently. You can forget all about your Uncle. Your Uncle will look at you and see how he lost another son but this will be worse because you won’t be dead. How would you like that?”

“That’s...that’s not possible! You can’t!” Zuko could feel the panic building and he struggled to keep it under control. Not remember who Uncle is?!

“Perhaps you would like a demonstration?”

Before Zuko could reply, the earth encasing his legs was removed. He let out a yelp of surprise as he was forced on his feet. He was led down a few hallways to a room with a dozen women. All of them repeating “I am Joo Dee” with a blank expression. Another room held a chair with a small flame in a circle. There was someone in there and Zuko watched as the person struggled until their face was vacant. Until they agreed with the Dai Li.

This... wasn’t right. He didn’t want to be a blank canvas. He didn’t want to forget his Uncle.

“You’ll be willing, won’t you?” Long Feng asked.

“What do you want?”

“You’re going to tell me everything about the Fire Nation, about the Avatar, and about your sister.”

“What?!” Zuko did not expect Long Feng to mention Azula. “My sister?”

“Did I need to repeat myself?”

“I haven’t been in the Fire Nation in three years so what I know will be outdated. I don’t know much about the Avatar except he’s a child. Since he’s here, you probably already know that. And if you know me so well you should know I don’t know my sister all that well. Except she always lies.”

“Prince Zuko, you amuse me. I didn’t ask those things because I wanted to know. I asked because I wanted to know what you’d say.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I know about your banishment. How your father burned you. I was merely testing you. That’s not what I want though. You will work for me and you will do it willingly. Whatever I tell you to do.”

“What do you want?”

Long Feng smiled and gestured Zuko to follow him. Not that Zuko had much choice in the matter. This time, the walk was much longer, uphill, and in a different area he had been before. Perhaps they were leaving Lake Laogai?

They stopped in front of a few windows. Long Feng nodded to Zuko and nodded towards the windows. Whatever was visible, he wanted Zuko to see.

Whatever he thought it could have been was not what he saw. Nothing could have prepared him for who he was looking at.

His mother sat in a room by herself as if she was waiting for someone. Though it had been years since he saw her, he knew it was her. “Mom...” Zuko felt tears in his eyes. “How...? How is she here?”

“I told you I know all about you. I found her one day a couple years back and offered her security. She’s been here ever since. She’s been feeding me information without even realizing it as well.”

Zuko felt his anger blaze towards Long Feng. His mother had been here all this time and she had been brainwashed?! He could fight Long Feng without his arms. He could breathe fire. It could work.

Except he couldn’t. He didn’t feel his connection like he should have. He couldn’t feel his fire.

“Ah. I see you noticed you can’t firebend. I should have mentioned that under your stone wrists are chi-blocker cuffs. You also were given bending suppressants as well. You won’t be able to bend.”

“Let my mother go.” Zuko snarled.

“That will be up to you.”

“What?”

“The other window Prince Zuko.”

Zuko looked through the next window and saw his Uncle in a room setting up his tea. What was his Uncle doing? “What do you want?”

“Pick one.”

“Pick one? Pick one what? I don’t understand.”

“It’s simple. One of them will not walk out of here alive. You will choose who lives and who dies.”

Zuko felt his heart stop. How could he do that?! He loved both his mother and his Uncle. He hadn’t seen his mother in years, thought she was dead. But his Uncle stayed with him when he didn’t have to, taught him so much and showed him love. “No. I... I can’t. You can’t ask that!”

“You will. You will choose who dies or both of them will have their memories cleared. Neither one will remember you. The only ones to love you will forget who you are.”

“Stop it! Stop! I can’t! I can’t choose!”

“Then I hope your last memory with them was pleasant.” Long Feng nodded to the Dai Li agents.

“No!!” Zuko screamed as the agents moved to earthbend. “I’ll choose! I’ll do it. Please. Don’t brainwash them.”

“Good choice Prince Zuko.” Long Feng nodded to the agents who stopped moving. “Now, who will you pick to die?”

Zuko felt the tears falling again. It would be his fault, wouldn’t it? He loved both people and he had to pick one to die. It wasn’t fair. His life was never fair.

“My mother. Save my Uncle.”

Before Zuko could even blink, Long Feng moved his arms and a spike of earth shot up and went through his mother’s heart. Zuko could see the moment when his mother took her last breath.

“Now you get to tell your Uncle the good news.”

As if Zuko didn’t have enough heartache, now he had to tell his Uncle? “What?! Tell my Uncle?!”

“Tell your Uncle he lives because you picked your mother to die. If you thought things were going to be easier, you were wrong. You’ll work for me and do what I tell you. I will make you suffer like you’ve never suffered before. Now tell your Uncle.”

Before Zuko could say anything, he was shoved into the room with his Uncle.

“Nephew? What’s wrong?”

“Uncle!” Zuko cried. He wanted to hug his Uncle but he couldn’t with his hands encased in earth still. “It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault!” He cried into his Uncle’s shoulder. “I killed her. I’m sorry.” Zuko repeated as he Uncle tried to calm him. Zuko didn’t hear a word Iroh said. He simply let the emotions overwhelm him and darkness overtake him.

Zuko had started to become happy. He should have known it would end badly for him. He could never be happy.


End file.
